How wrong was I about Praise! She hadn't come to the mad house for any reformation. She had ran from home. Shouldn't she had chosen a better place to live than staying with those drug dealing boys next door? There wasn't need for you to ask me how I got to know that she ran from home; I got to know this while she was quareling with Aunty Grace. And Aunty Grace being true to her name, had called her OSANLE( The runway).
Praise made me remember my past self. So full of life and a need for adventure. I believed she would have an excuse too, like I used to have. And a passable one I hope. There is always an excuse at the start of a rebelion. But that excuse would become useless when realization comes.
Now I knew how lucky was I to have been seen by my mom that horrible day. I realized the danger I had put myself in to have gone to parties with boys older than my age and tasted wines my mom had never tasted. I remembered the shocked look on my mother's face one day I pointed out the name of the wine that a character in a movie was drinking while we were watching TV.
'The way these actors take alcohol on screen nowadays enh..... it's startling! Before it was water, now they use real alcohol and consume it as if it were water!, mhn!'- she had scoffed.
'That's Campari mom. Not really a knockout- I had laughed.
Mom had been horrified. 'However did you know that! You tell me now young lady!'- she had remarked angrily.
I had laughed but trembled within myself, 'Cal-m down mom-my! I actually read it in a-an English comprehensive textbook!- I laughed shakingly.
'Ok'- she had said and had risen from where she sat to her room, telling me to switch off the TV after thirty minutes and go to bed. How disappointed mom had been when she knew I had lied!
Mom had said she wanted me to see how much she loves me by coming to live here. I hadn't seen anything that signified love here; but I could see my past life been played out for me in the form of Praise.
Enough of Praise! Another rule at the mad house- Keep your mind from each others' business!
How I had been trying to do just that!
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